Chapter 11. A primer on container orchestration
This chapter covers
- Managing simple Docker services with systemd
- Managing multi-host Docker services with Helios
- Using Hashicorp’s Consul for service discovery
- Service registration using Registrator
The technology Docker is built on has existed for a while in different forms, but Docker is the solution that’s managed to grab the interest of the technology industry. This puts Docker in an enviable position—Docker’s mindshare did the initial job of kickstarting an ecosystem of tools, which became a self-perpetuating cycle of people being drawn into the ecosystem and contributing back to it.
This is particularly evident when it comes to orchestration. After seeing a list of company names with offerings in this space, you’d be forgiven for thinking that everyone has their own opinion on how to do things and has developed their own tool.
Although the ecosystem is a huge strength of Docker (and is why we’ve been drawing from it so much in this book), the sheer quantity of possible orchestration tools can be overwhelming to novices and veterans alike. This chapter will tour some of the most notable tools and give you a feel for the high-level offerings, so you’re better informed when it comes to evaluating what you want a framework to do for you.